Titan Comic’s Dishonored #1 Review

Well, ladies and gents, on the menu for tonight’s review is an older work. Dishonored: The Wyrmwood Deceit was released by Titan Comics on August 3, 2016. That’s right, my friends! We’re heading back to Dunwall! Aren’t you excited? I am!

Okay, yes, I do realize this comic is over a year old. I didn’t get the chance to read it when it first came out, however, so it’s going to be a new adventure in familiar territory for me. And as I’ve said in my previous reviews on the more recent Dishonored: The Peeress and the Price, I love this series!

Plot

As with the first Dishonored game, this series focuses on the adventures of Royal Protector Corvo Attano, father to Empress Emily Kaldwin. The story opens with Corvo in a sword fight with the guards of Dunwall’s city watch. My first thought was why? Well, turns out Corvo is looking for someone to continue to protect Dunwall and the Empress after he’s too old to do so.

Family, we know, is important to Corvo. It’s why he fought to rescue Emily and clear his own name of Jessamine Kaldwin’s murder. This issue gives us a hint of Corvo’s backstory, as the son of his long-lost sister appears in Dunwall. And it seems someone is plotting to use this against him.

Ony one aspect of the story sort of bothered me. The first few pages show a fight scene between Corvo and the watch but Corvo is talking the entire time. By the end of it, it’s clear what’s happening but during the fight, his dialogue here makes little sense. The internal dialogue is fine. The external dialogue was a bit weird.

Artwork & Layout

The art style in Dishonored: The Wyrmwood Deceit is gritty and harsh. It fits in perfectly with the story and the steampunk-industrial Victorian city of Dunwall.

I also really liked the panels showing Corvo using his Outsider gifts. Olimpieri’s artwork in this regard was awesome. Of course, I think there’s an assumption here that any readers would have played the game and therefore would know what the visuals were trying to communicate by showing translucent neon figures. Still, I think it was effective because even if you hadn’t played the game, you’d know that he was using some sort of ability.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Dishonored: The Wyrmwood Deceit was good. The issue’s ending definitely has my attention. Tomorrow, I’ll be covering the next issue and I gotta say, I’m looking forward to it!